Grease gun



Sept. -2.4; 1929. A. E. KELLOGG 1,729,219y

GREASE GUN Original Filed April 25', i921 [[L iin-f3 Inuenor 5 Alfred Erle/@j @v/AW Patented Sept. 24, 1929 yUNITED I STATES PATENT OFFICE ALFRED E. XELLOGG, OF EL CENTRO, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-TWELFT'H T0 JOHN M. KEPLEY, ONE-TWELFTE T FOREST KUTZ, ONE-TWELFTH T0 C. EDWARD ANDERSON, ONE-TWELFTH TO J'. VERN GARLAND, ONE-TWELFTH TO VAUGHN N. THOMPSON, AND ONE-TWELFTH T0 WALTER B. KIBBEY, ALL 0F EL CENTRO,

GREASE GUN Application led April 25, 1921,l Serial No. 464,186. Renewed June 19, 1929.

This discovery and invention relates to the handling of grease from the time of placing it in merchantable packages to the applicatlon of the grease through a grease gun operable in a well known manner. In this improvement in the art a novel grease gun of the class comprising a barrel and a plunger operating therein .to force the grease out. through a n'oz zle-like outlet for the purpose'of applying the grease to automobiles, machinery, motors, etc., isemployed, and an object is to provide for making the required application of grease without the likelihood fofA any rease coming into contact with the hands or c othing of the one applying the grease, and without the necessit of taking the usual precautions or employing the usual means heretofore necessary toavoid soiling the hands and clothing of the operator. l

Another object is to provide for charging the gun andapplying the grease thereto in less `time than heretofore possible; also to afford the operator eat convenience for using commercially packed. grease-in grease guns. v

My newly discovered method of applying semi-Huid lubricants consists in, iirst, packaging the lubricantv in a container adapted to be put on the market, and transported and handled freely like any canned cartoned goods and adapted to allow pressure to be applied to one end of the content, and adapted to be punctured at theother end, second, puncturing and confining said container in a suitable holder except at the puncture, and so apply-` ing pressure on the lubricant as to force the lubricant out -through said puncture. In thls respect I propose to make the container of paper fiber or metal adapted ,to hold the' l0 grease; and to supply the user with containers filled with grease and temporarily closed at the open end'so that they are adapted for handling and transporting-the grease from manufacture to final use. The packages will l5 be adapted to fit within a compressor or grease gun' of approved form having a barrel and a plunger or piston of such diameters corresponding to the outside and inside diameters of the container, that when the coni0 tainer and the plunger are applied to the barvide one end of each with a closure that will 60 retain the grease and that may be removedv l before the carton is placed in the grease gun; and also provide the other end of each carton with aweakened portion \which may be punched or cut out to form an aperture that will coincide or register 'with the outlet of the grease gun when the carton is placed in such gun.

I also provide meansl whereby the upper end of the carton may be protected from grease when placed within a grease gunl and which will scrape the 'grease off of the plunger packing when the plunger is retracted.

The discovery and invention may be ap. plied in various ways and is broadly new, basic and pioneer in respect to the above feature. The piston may be freely reciprocable or screw operated as desired and will be shown as free to reciprocate.

Further objects of the invention are simplicity of construction, cheapness of manufacture and durability, and effectiveness of the device.

Other objects, advantages and features of invention may appear from the accompanying drawing, the subjoined detail description i v and the appended claims.

I will now describe my novel method and means of utilizing semi-Huid lubricants, reference being had to the accompanying drawmg. y

Figure 1 is an axial section of a grease gun with a punctured grease carton in place within the container, and a piston in retracted. position secured in place ready for use to force grease out of the nozzle which is shown filled from a previous operation of the plunger.

Fig. 2 is an axial section of the stored mercharitable carton,

Fig. 4 1s anuend View of a carton showing the weakened portion thereof adapted to be punched out before the carton is placed in the grease gun.

The assembled grease gun or compressor is of the ordinary type in external appearance and has an open mouth barrel comprising a cylindrical chamber which may be spun, pressed,'or otherwise made out of brass or other suitable material, and is shown in the drawing as comprising a tubular wall 1, to the discharge end of which a closure 2 is secured by brazing or sweating, or in any other suitable manner; the closure being centrally apertured a-t 3 to provide an outlet for the grease. A short boss or extension 4 may be provided externally of the closure member 2 and surrounding the aperture 3, and adapt-- ed to be inserted in an opening into which it is desired to introduce lubricant. A hose or nozzle 5 may be attached to the boss 4 through which the grease may be forced into the chambers or onto the surfaces to be lubricated. The boss may be threaded as shown to afford a more positive connection with the tube.

The inside of the upper end of the tubular P wall 1 is preferably tapered downwardly at 6 to form an inclined guide somewhat below the top of the completed barrel ;A and secured tothe outer surface of the wall 1 is an annular member or collar 7 which may be sweatedV thereto or attached in any other suitable manner to form the expanded mouth of the barrel for reception of the carton and the plunger. The annular member is provided at its upper end with screw threads 8. Securing the collar 7 to the wall 1 in this manner, produces a flaring upper end for the grease gun. -As a closure for the upper end of the grease gun I provide a detachable cap 9 having a centrally apertured boss 10. The cap 9 is provided at its margin with an internally threaded annular flange 11 to receive the screw threads 8 on the collar 7.

l Extending through the aperture of the cap is a piston rod 12 having a handle 13'and a piston or plunger head 14 which latter comprises a disk 15 and a circular block 16 of metal or fibre between which is vsecured a cup washer or packing 17 of any suitable flexible or yielding material, as leather.

The edge of the packing extends beyond the edge ofthe block 16 which is preferably thicker and of less diameter than the disk 15; the extending packing preferably lapping over the edge of the block 16 forming an apron 18 thereabout, which is protected from engagement with the joint between the cap and barrel by being withdrawable into an annular housing 19 carried by said cap and in the form of an inverted lcup inside and annularly spaced from the cap flange 11. The disk, block and packingmay be held together and secured in place on the end of the piston rod 12 between a shoulder 2O and a nut 21 screwed onto the rod and sunk into the block 16 as shown. y

The housing 19 projects slightly beyond the apron 18 to fully accommodate the plunger head when the piston is fully retracted and is of greater depth than flange 11 with which it is concentric and from which it is spaced a distance somewhat greater than the thickness of the collar 7 so that a carton 22 equal in length to the cavity of the barrel and having an expanded mouth 23, may be accommodated in the barrel when the cap is in place.

It is thus seen that grease may be readily placed in the grease gun without dangerof soiling the. operators hands or clothes and without removing it from its original package.

I prefer to provide a container or carton 22 with thin walls which may be of paper, fiber, thin sheet metal astin, or any other suitable cheap'material and supply it with a charge 30 of lubricant. y The form of the carton is such that it will fit snugly within the grease gun and it is formed with an exanded mouth 23 of a diameter such' that it will fit snugly in the expanded mouth of' the grease gun described above. The expanded 'mouth or portion 23 is connected to the main The lower end of the carton is preferably' closed by a wall 25 having a portion 26 which may be weaker than the surrounding parts of wall 25v or may be circumferentially weakened as by stamping at 27 so that it may be readily punched or cut out of its place before the carton is placed in the barrel of the grease gun; the aperture thus formed being so lol cated that it will register or coincide with the outlet 3 when the carton is placed in the barrel. The expanded mouth of the carton may be closed by a removable closure or lid 28 haV-' ing a flange 29 adapted to fit Within the expanded walls 23, so that the closure or lid 28 is spaced from the end of the carton andthe flange 29 leaves an ungreased portion on the inner walls of said expanded walls to be gripped when placing the carton in a grease Gun.

b In practice the carton ispreferably filled only to the line of the sloping wall 24 leaving the off-set-portion 23 free of grease to accommodate the plunger when the cap is in handled therein With maximum ease and convenience without danger of greasing the hands or clothing.

When it is desired to refill the grease gun the cap 9 with plunger 14;, will first be regomoved and the empty carton may then be re-A moved by taking hold of the top off-set ungreased portion 23. In this way the operators fingers do not come into contact'with the greased portion ofthe carton. Having 25 removed the empty carton, the lid 28 may be Withdrawnfrom a new lfilled carton and the portion 26 punched in and then pulled out of the container. The carton may then be grasped by the portion 23 and placed .in the grease gun. The cap.9 may then be replaced and screwed home; the annular member 19 projecting into the olf-set portion 23 of the carton and holding the same against the inner surface of the wall ofthe collar 7.- The plunger of the grease gun may then be operated in the usual manner; the annular member 19 acting as a. guard for the apron 1S, preventing its coming in contact with the off-set portion 23 of the carton, and acting as a guide to prevent the piston from crumpling the carton as the piston is advanced to express the grease. When all the grease is expressed the piston is retracted into the housing and as it comes into contact with the annular member 19 the piston is compressed by and the grease will be scraped olf of the plunger by said annular member 19.

.I claim:

1. A grease gun comprising an open mouth barrel having an apertured closure at' one vend; a detachable Cap adapted to close the open mouth of said barrel and having a flange in threaded engagement with said barrel; a

piston in saidbarrel having a stem extend` ing through said cap; an annular housing -inside and annularly spaced from said flange adapted to receive said piston When-said piston is fully retracted; and a carton of grease fitted into said barrelaud having at one end an open mouth adapted to be received in the space between said housing and said flange and having at its other end an aperture adapted to coincide With the aperture in the closure.

2. The combination of a grease gun barrel having an expanded mouth, a carton having an expanded mouth and adapted to fit said barrel, said barrel and carton being adapted to allow grease to be expressed from the end opposite said mouths when the carton is in the barrel; and a plunger fitting and operable in the carton, said expanded mouth serving -to guide the plunger into Isaid carton.

3. The combination of a grease gun barrel having an expanded mouth, a carton having an expanded mouth and adapted to fit said barrel, said barrel and carton being adapted to allow grease to be expressed from the end opposite said mouths when the carton is in the barrel; and a plunger having a rod and fitting and operable in the carton, said expanded mouth serving to guide the plunger into said carton; and a closure for the mouths of the carton and barrel; said closure being provided with a housing fitting in the mouth of lthe carton and adapt-ed to contain the plunger when the same is retracted.

4. A carton for containing grease adapted to be placed in a grease gun; said carton having in one end awveakened portion adapted to be punched out of place to-orm an aperture,'said portion being so located that the aperture Will coincide With* the outlet of the grease gun, an offset portion on the opposite end of said carton'and connected thereto by a sloping wall and a removable closureO for offset portion of said carton.

5. A compressor comprising a barrel having at one end an open mouth, a cap having' at its margin an internally threaded flange adapted to engage said barrel at its open mouth end, an annular housing carried by said cap inside' of and spaced from said flange and the inner walls of said barrel a suflicient distance to receive a carton'be- I tween the outer Wall of said housing and the inner Wall of said barrel, and a piston comprising a piston head. aud a yieldable member thereon, said yieldable member being adapted to be compressed by said housl ing When the piston head is retracted.

` 6. A compressor comprising a barrel having at one `end an open mout-h, a cap' adapted to be secured to the open end of said barrel,

an annular housing carried by said cap on the inside thereof and spaced from said barrel a suiicient distance to receive a carton between said housing and barrel, and a piston in said barrel, said piston being adapted to fit into said annular housing.

7. A compressor comprising a barrel having at one 'end an' open mouth, a cap adapted to be secured tothe open end of said barrel, an

annular housing lcarried by said cap on the inside thereof and spaced from said barrel a sufiicient distance to receive a carton between said housing and barrel, and a piston in said barrel, said piston being adapted to fit into said annular housing, said piston comprising a piston head and a yieldable member thereon. said yieldable member being adapted to be compressed by said housing when the piston head is retracted.

8. A compressor comprising :i barrel having at one endl an open expanded mouth, a cap adapted to be secured to the open mouth, un annular housing carried by Suid cap on the inside thereof and spaced from said expanded mouth a suiicient distance to receive a carton between said mouth and said housing, and a piston in said barrel, said piston being adapted to fit into said annular housing, when retracted.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand at El Centro, California, this 13th day of April 1921.

j ALFRED E. KELLOGG. 

